NCMH exec reassigned to another facility after exposés on COVID-19 situation

National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) chief administrative officer Dr. Clarita Avila on Wednesday confirmed that she was reassigned to another facility after she spoke about the coronavirus situation in the health institution.

She answered in the affirmative when asked to confirm reports that she has been transferred to Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Las Piñas.

"I received the order of reassignment on April 14, 2020," she said in a text message to GMA News Online.

Asked for the reason on why she was reassigned, Avila said: "Because of my exposé made to media about the gag order issued to me by Dr. [Roland] Cortez and my exposé about what's happening inside the NCMH."

LOOK: Dr. Clarita Avila confirms her reassignment from the Nat’l Center for Mental Health to the Drug Abuse and Rehab Center in Las Piñas. She claims the move was caused by her recent exposés on the COVID-19 situation in the mental institution. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/Unb8K3xAQp

— Dona Magsino (@donamagsino) April 15, 2020

In the hospital order dated April 13 that was shared by Avila to GMA News Online, it was stated that she has to assist the officer-in-charge of the Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in "managing and making the said facility operational."

NCMH chief Dr. Roland Cortez was the signatory of the said order.

The Department Personnel Order from the Department of Health, on the other hand, was dated March 9 and was signed by Health Undersecretary Roger Tong-an.

Avila explained that this order from the DOH was antedated and was received by the NCMH on April 13.

Last week, Avila bared that 50 out of the 83 psychiatrists in NCMH were already undergoing self-quarantine.

It has been reported that six elderly patients being treated for mental illness also tested positive for the disease. Three of them already died. As of April 5, NCMH also has 297 persons under investigation and 181 persons under monitoring.

Avila also previously lamented the supposed lack of personal protective equipment and medical supplies in the health facility.

"Others are afraid to report because they don’t have PPE. We lack the logistics. We lack the supplies to protect them. Parang pupunta sila sa giyera na wala naman silang baril,"  she said.

On April 8, Cortez issued a letter to Avila ordering her to refrain from releasing statements about COVID-19 issues as he underscored that the latter is not considered an official spokesperson. 

'Violations'

Tong-an, on the other hand, said he received a letter from Cortez on March 6 requesting the transfer of Avila on grounds of "violations" not directly related to COVID-19.

"Maraming violations na cinite si Dr. Roland dito and it's not about the COVID. It's about disrupting the center's efforts towards refinement and reforms and deliberate disobedience of civil service directives," he told GMA News Online in a phone interview.

Asked why the DOH's order was only received by NCMH on April 13, Tong-an said there were some fact-finding activities that had been conducted prior.

"There [were] some investigations muna, pumunta pa ito sa health facility, hospital operations so 'yun ang nangyari. Ni-refer pa namin," he said.

'Unsatisfactory performance'

Meanwhile, Cortez said he deemed it best to request the transfer of Avila because of her alleged unsatisfactory performance in the NCMH.

"She should be transferred to work hard in other institution kasi she draws her salary without doing anything," he said in a text message to GMA News Online.

Cortez added that he received a letter from Avila's lawyer informing him that the latter will appeal to the Civil Service Commission regarding her transfer.

"To us, it is imperative to harness the abilities of our health officials and employees in order to promote optimum service and a dependable health care system," Cortez's response letter to Avila's lawyer read.

"We respect the action made by Ms. Avila and due diligence shall be exercised in the determination of the most prudent action on this matter," it added.

Cortez, however, wished to set the record straight regarding Avila's claim that NCMH is lacking PPEs for its personnel amid the COVID-19 situation.

"She always says wala kaming PPEs and supplies but we have. Nag-iimbento 'yan to destroy NCMH and management. She is inventing and propagating lies," he said.

The NCMH has over 5,000 pieces of protective gear in its stock from the DOH and other donations as of April 13, according to Cortez. — RSJ/KBK, GMA News